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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Berlusconi faces 5-year prison term in bribery trial

ROME (AFP) - Italian prosecutors on Wednesday called for former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to be sentenced to five years in prison for bribing his former tax lawyer, Italian media reported.

'It is certain, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the defendant is guilty,' prosecutor Fabio De Pasquale told the court.

Berlusconi's defence 'is based on false documents,' he said.

Berlusconi is accused of paying British lawyer David Mills US$600,000 (S$249,000) to provide false testimony in several trials against the tycoon in the 1990s. He denies the charges and accuses prosecutors of plotting against him.